Metallic railway-tie construction.



W. H. HAWS.

METALLIC RAILWAY TIE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.28, 1915.

Patent-ed Aug. 24, 1915.

3 .SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESSES coLuMnlA PLANOGRAPH Co.,\v^sH1NGToN.D,c.

W. H. HAWS.

METALLIC RAILWAY TIE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED .IAN.28, 1915.

Patented'Avug. 24,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES aoLurnmA rlL/NOGRAPH C0., WASHINGTON, D. rc.

wL'H. HAws.

METALLIC RAILWAY TIE CONSTRUCTION.

lAPPLICATION FILED .IAN.28, 1915. Aug. 24:,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,'

i. l 'll 'WILLIAM I. HAWS, 0F J OI-INSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

METALLIC RAILWAY-TIE CONSTRUCTION.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

Application filed January 28, 1915. Serial No. 4,909.

To all whom t may concern:

.Be it known that I, TILLIAM H. HAws, a citizen of the Unitedl States, residing at Johnstown, in `the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Railway-Tie Construction, of which the following is a specilication. i

This invention hasreference to metallic railway tie construction, and has to do more particularly with means for securing the rails to the ties.

The objects of the invention are to provide means for securely holding the rails to the ties against lateral movement; to permit accurate gaging of the tracks; to permit lateral adjustment of the rails to compensate for wear of the sides of the rail treads where engaged by the wheel flanges, and to provide fior the absolute locking of the rail holdingstructuree even though the normal holding devices shall become loosened.

In accordance with the pres/ent invention the tie may be in the form of a channel member, or in the :form of an I-beam, or simply in the form of a flat plate, these three forms being taken as indicative ofjany suitable form of metallic tie, but usually the tie is constructed of some form of structural steel requiring no treatment other than the punching of a few holes. In some forms of the invention one flange ofthe rail is held by a permanently fastened abutment Clamp, in which case the other flange of the rail is held by a clamp platein embracing relation to the flange and to the under face of a web of the tie,which atthe particular point is provided with a perforation traversed bya part of the clamp plate. In conjunction with this clamp plate there is provided a wedge member capable of being driven through the perforation or perforations traversed by the clamp plate, so, as to force theclamp pla-te into lirm. clamping relation to the rail flange. The wedge is finally secured in place by a bolt or other fastening means and by making this wedge of malleable metal and with suitable wings it may be 'bentinto locking relation to the tie in a manner holding it absolutely in position, but at the same time permitting itto be bentback to its irst form for Withdrawal from the tie. some circumstances the permanently fixed Under rail clamp is omitted and both flanges of the rail are engaged by clamp plates both-secured by appropriate wedges, and in some instances liners may be provided for the perforations through the tie.

lith the present invention `the rails are lixedlysecuredin place on the ties without any liability of displacement, but are readily loosened from the ties and may be readily adjusted toward or fromeach other, and especially toward each other to take up wear ycaused by the action of the wheel flanges upon the inner edges of the treads of the rails. n

The invention will rbe best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description, takenv in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long 'as such changes and modilications mark no material departure from the salient fea-tures of the invention.

In the drawings :-'Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a tie with a rail secured thereto by the securing means of the present invention. Fig. Q- is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. l, but showing a somewhat diferent adaptation of the invention. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section similar to that of Fig. 2 illustrating the use of a liner. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 and showing another use of a liner. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing still another adaptation of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 3 and showing an adaptation of the securing means shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 10 isa sec-r tion onv the line 10-10 of Fig. 9. Fig. 11

lis a section on the line ll-ll of Fig. l;

Fig. 12 is a section similar to Fig. 6 but showing the use of the invention with a thin or plate tie. Fig. 13 vis a section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 8. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of one Vend of a tie formed of channel steel. Fig. l5 is a perspective view of one of the wedge members. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a clip which may be emis' of the I type of structural steel, while in Fig. 12 the tie is iny the form of a flat plate 1b. These three examples of different forms of ties are deemed to be suflicient to show that the present invention is not at all limited to any particular form of metal tie.. In Figs. 1 to 12 there is also shown a track rail 2 which may be considered asv of the ordinary type having the usual flanges 3, 4, these flanges being thus particularly referred to simply to facilitate the description to follow, and not as distinguishing the rail from any ordinary track rail. 'In the channel form of tie the connecting web between the marginal webs is designed to receive and support the rail. In the I form of tie one of the end webs constitutes the rail supporting vportion of the tie, and in the flat or plate like tie 1b the rail rests directly upon one flat face of the plate.

In Fig. 1 there is provided a clamp plate.y 5 secured to the rail receiving face of the tiev by rivets 6, or in any other appropriate manner, and one edge 7 of the plate 5 is appropriately bent to overlie the corresponding flange of the rail, this ange in the particular form shown being the fiangej4."v

Iny the structure shown inv Figs. 1 and 2 the rail receiving face of the tie 1 is pierced by laterally spaced passages 8 and extending through these passages are tongues 9 formed on one edge of a clamp plate 10 appropriately vshaped to override and bear against the flange 3 of the rail 2. Each tongue 9 is bent upon itself so that its extremity points toward that edge of the plate 10 remote from that from which the tongues spring, Vand these tongues are located at the ends of the side of the plate from which they spring. The tongues 9 being bent upon themselves are also spaced from the corresponding face of the plate 10, so that when the tongues are introduced through the passages 8 the free ends of the tongues engage under the topy web of the tie with the plate 10 bearing against thel top of the rail flange 3.

Inthe structure of Fig. 1 and associated figures the tie is pierced for the passage of ay bolt 11 and a corresponding bolt hole being-indicated at 12 in Fig. 14. The bolt 11 is provided with a spacer nut 13 and a clamp nut 14 and between these two nuts is lodged a slotted arm 15 extending from a wedge block 16. Extending from the sides Y and are of a width and length to enter the respective perfcrations 8 in engagement with the tongues 9 of the clamp late 10. In the structure of F igs.l 1 and 2 the parts are so proportioned that when the wedges 18 are driven simultaneously 'into the passages 8 one edge of each wedge engages a tongue 9 and the other edgev engages the vcorresponding side of the passage 8, so vthat the clamp plate 10 is driven by the wedge connection on to the flange 3 of the rail 2 and at the same time' forces the flange 4 under the overhang 7 of the clamp plate 5. This-most effectively clamps the rail flanges tightly against the top face of the tie. The clamp wedge block may be made of malleable steel or iron, the word steel being chosen to represent either iron or steel, and the bifurkcated or slotted arm 15 has its slot representedl at 15a traversed by the bolt 11 withv the nut 13 serving as a spacer and lock nut,

and the nut 14 serving to clamp the arm 15 firmly against the nut 13. The wedge block serves to force therail and clamp plates into iirm union, and when this is accomplished and the track rails have been suitably gaged, thevextremities of the wedge extensions 18 are bent toward or from each other, so as to fixedly look the wedge block in its holding position against any possibility of loosening even though under the jar of traliic the nut 14 should become loosened. These wedge extensions arereadily accessible n the several forms of tie shown in the drawings.

Instead of employing the permanently fixed clamp plate 5, two sets of clamp plates 10 and corresponding wedge blocks 16 may be employed, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. where the same reference numerals are employed, since thev parts are mere duplicates. In such instance, however, there is provided an additional set of perforations corresponding to the perforaticns 8, and designated 8L in the drawings, and an additional bolt hole 12EL is also provided, as best shown in Fig. 14. With the structure shown in Figs. 3 and 4 it is advisable in the original installation to have the' flange 4: of the rail, which flange is the one toward the opposite rail, with its edge about coincident with the correduced intocachpassage 8a a liner 19 shown separately in Fig. 19. This liner comprises a U-shapeld `strip of metalof suitable size having a yoke portion 2O adapted to abut the corresponding edge of the passages 8 or 8a with the legs of the U arrangedabove and below the web` of the tie pierced bythe passages 8 or 8a. j The liner forms an abutment for thecorresponding kedge y,of ,the wedge 18, so that under such circumstances thek tongues 9 of the clamp plate y10 are forcedk against the other edge of the perforations 8 or 8L as the case may be, and ,they rail is so;y

located that the corresponding edge of the web/.l is then about coincident with thek edges of the passages 8, the structures of Figs. 8r The distance be-l and l being considered. tween the passages 8 and 8? is less than the combined width of the yflanges 3 and l of the rail, so that the youter edge of the iiange 3 now somewhat overrides thek inner edges of the passages 8. The platesplO applied to the flange 8 are engaged by the Wedges 18 of the,

appropriate wedge block, which in this case also bears against what constitutesthe outer walls of the passages 8, these passages being those nearest to the corresponding end of the tie. 1n the course of traffic thatedge of the rail tread engaged by the ywheel flanges becomes worn, and when this wearing reaches a certain degree, say, three-eighths of ank inch more or less, it is necessary to compensate therefor. Under such circumstances the wedges 18 are removed and the liners 19 are taken out ofthe `passages 8a and introduced into the passages 8, thus permitting a shift of the rail toward theother rail and thereby reducing the gage of the track. This permits the ready adjustment of the r`rails to compensate for the increase in gage due to wear, so that the useful life of the rails is correspondingly increased and itis not until the rail has had a prolongation of life to .practically double what it otherwise would have that it is `necessary to wholly discard the rail and replaceity by a new one. f

Under those circumstances 7in which the structure of Fig. 1 is employed, the wear of the rails is taken up by rinitially forming the wing 7 to permit the adjustment of the rail toward the plate 5 for a limited dis tance, and under these circumstances the liner 19 is introduced into each perforation 8, and the wedges 18y are, driven into position so as to force the flange 3 of the rail 2 tightly into the space ybeneath the wing 7 with the clamp plate 10 then `having its tongues 9 in engagement with the corresponding walls of the passages 8. This arrangement is shown in Fig. 5 and illustrates the final adjustment of the rail after having its tread worn to the limit permitted before adjustment must take place. j

InFig. 6,the liner 19 is shown as located iny the outer passages 8, that is, those close to the end of the tie, instead of in the pas-y sages 89' as in Fig. l, and Fig. 6 represents the final compensating adjustment of the rail with the arrangement of Fig. 4.

In the structures so far described a single wedge block 16 is provided on one side or the other, or both sides of the rail to bring about the securing of the rail in place. n Under some circumstances the wedge block 16 may be replaced by two wedges, such as illustrated-in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 17, and in such instancea clamp plate shown in Fig. 18 is employed. The single wedge members are adapted each to a single hole or perforation 8 or 8a and each comprises a plate EZOfL having one end formed with a longitudi-y nallydisposed entering slot 2Gb and at the other' end this plate is formed with two arms 21 insubstantial parallelism and extendingy from yopposite sides of the correspondingy end of the plate at approximately right angles thereto. These two arms are wedge shape and soymay be termed wedges like the wedge extensions 18 of the wedge block 16. The slot 2Gb is traversed by a bolt 11, as before, but there are two bolts 11 arranged side by side and spaced like the passages 8 and 8fL traversed by the wedges 21. These passages in Figs. 7, 8, 9, 10 and 18 extend through the upper webs of an I beam 1EL constituting the tie, and are arranged on opposite sides of the stem or center web of the I beam. 1n conjunction with the wedge plates 20a are clamp plates 10aI having tongues 9a like the tongues 9 of the plate 10, butinset a short distance from the ends of the plate, the passages 8 being correspondingly spaced. Otherwise the structures of Figs. 7 to 10 and 18 and 17 correspond with the structures previously described with reference to other figures of the drawing. 1n Fig. 7 a clamp plate 5a having a wing or tongue 7@ and held to the tie 1a by rivets 6 is provided with the tongue LL of less width than the top web of the tie, and substantially corresponding in width to the lengthof the plate 10a. Two wedge devices 20a are pro` vided in the structure of Fig. 7, one for each passage 8. 1n Fig.l 9 a similar arrangement is provided, except that the plate 5"L is substituted by another pair of wedge devices QOentering passages 8a like the structure of Fig. 8, and 'iny the form of Fig. 9 liners 19 may be employed as before, and for a similar purpose.y 1n the structures of Figs. 7 to 10 the spacer nuts 13 are omitted, but nuts 14a serve to clamp the wedge plates in position.

The structure of Fig. 12 is substantially like Fig. 6, except that the parts are shownk appliedftoa tie 1b in the form of a flat plate instead of a webbed beam of structuralsteel, and so needs no special description.

Injthe initially installedk position of the auf SeY

parts the liners are placed in the 'I'ierforaV toward each other, become worn to a suffi'- cient extent the liners are removed from the inner perforations 8 andplacedwithin the outer perforations 8, so vthat the rails are then brought together by a distance repre-V sented by the thickness of the Yyoke portions ofthe liners, the perforations'S and 8a being of suliicient width lengthwise of the' ties to permit suchadjustments. When this is done the facing edges of the treads of the rails of the track then becomes readjusted into the original gage andl the rails wear until worn awayy to a corresponding extent, after which they must be discarded. Whether one wedge be used with the wedge elements spread apart, or two wedgesv be used each with the wedge elements close ytogether, but the wedges themselves spread apart, the rail is engaged at points consid-y erably separated although vthe separation is less than the width of the tie, andthe rail is rmly held to the tie by the clamp plates having the tongues in embracing relation to the tie. While the wedges provideineans whereby the clamp plates are forced into close and rigid connectionl with the flanges of the rail, the wedges cannot loosen so long as the bolts l] orV the nuts thereon holdf Loosening, however, may be leffectively pre;

vented by bending the extremities ofthe wedge extensions toward or from each other, as the case may be, somewhat after the manner of treating cotter pins, and no force to which these wedges are subjected in the or-v dinary course of traffic is sufficient to disturb them or to cause them to loosen to any material extent, so that the rails remain at all times in intimate contact with the ties and the road bed is therefore particularly firm and contributesto the ease of travel.

The variousstructures which are included in the present invention have the advantage of being producible out of sheet metal of suitable gage. For instance,y the clamp plates 5 and`5a are susceptible of manufacture from heavy sheet metal, the ends of the plate 5a being turned about the flanges of the tie la, as indicated at 5b in Figg?. rllhe clamp plates l0 and l0a are` both producible from sheet metal of suitable gage cut and bent into appropriate shape, and the wedge devices 16 and 20a are also producible from sheetmetal of suitable gage cut and bent into shape. inthe form of drop forging` andsome of them might be in the form of castings, but in any event the wedge members should be of a malleable` nature to permit 'the extremithe' v i. l;V In track construction,

Of course, these parts may bev ties 'of the wedge extensions'or 'arms being bent into locking position with respect to the tie 'through which they extend.v

What is claimed is':-* p

a metallic tie having a track supporting face with passages therethroughadjacentto the position to be occupied by the track rail and spaced apart transversely1 of the tie, a clamp'plate having portion adapted to overlie the flange of the rail and' provided with tongues spaced apart `in conformity with the spacing of and extending through said passages and engaging the under face ofthe tie supporting the rail, wedge members each having `wedge extensions traversing the passages through tlie tie in engagement with the tongues of the clamp plate, and fastenlng means for the wedge members secured to the tie, said Wedge members having the l "1 wedge extensions bendable in a direction Y to lock beneath the rail supporting portion of the tie.

2, In ytrack construction, a metallic tie provided with means for engaging one side ofthe flange of atrack rail and provided with passages through the track supporting face -of-the tie with the rail flange normally en'croachi-ng on the passages, a clamp plate having tongues extending through the passages in embracing relation to the rail flange and tie, andwedges extending through the passages position to engage the tongues andV provided with fastening means fast to the tie for' holding the wedges in wedging relationto the said tongues.

3; In track construction, a metallic tie having passages throughgits tracksupporting surfaceand spaced apart-laterally with respect to the length of thetie, vholding means for one side of the rail in closer relation to the passages rthan the widthv of the base of the rail," a clamp plate having tongues adapted to traverse the passages with the clamp plate in engagement with the! corresponding rail flange, and the tongues underriding the track supporting portion of the tie, a wedge lplate provided with an edge portion adapted to traverse thepassage through the tie in position to force the clamp plate in clamping engagement withy the rail, and means for securing the wedge devices'to the tie, said securing means being fastk to and carried by the tie.

Axl-n track construction, a Ametallic tie having passages therethrough spaced apart laterally of the length of the tie, track holding devicesv in position on the tie with rela'- tion to they rail to hold thelatter with the base or flange portion in partial overriding relation to the passages, a clamp plate havingl tongues thereon spaced apart to traverse the 'passages and shapedto engage under the track receiving portion of the tie, the

refe

rot

tions as there are passages through the tie adjacent to a track rail, and means for securing the wedge means to the tie.

5. In track construction, a metallic tie having passages therethrough spaced apart laterallyof the 'length of the tie, track holding devices in position on the tie with relation to the rail to hold the latter with the base or flange portion in partial overriding relation to thepassages, a clamp plate having tongues thereon spaced apart to traverse the passages and shaped to engage under the track receiving portion of the tie, Wedge means having as many wedge portions as there are passages through the tie adjacent to a track rail, and means for securing the wedge means to the tie, said wedge means having wedge extensions of malleable metal and of a length to extend through the perforated portion of the tie and to be bent in locking relation to the tie.

G. ln track construction, a metallic tie having passages therethrough spaced apart laterally yof the length of the tie, track holding devices in position on the tie with relation to the rail to hold the latter with the base or lia-nge portion in partial overriding relation to the passages, a clamp plate having tongues thereon spaced apart to traverse rthe passages and shaped to engage under the track receiving portion of the tie, wedge means having as many wedge portions as there are passages through the tie adjacent to a track rail,` and means for securing the wedge means to the tie, said wedge means having Wedge extensions of malleable metal and of a length to extend through the perforated portion of the tie and to be bent in locking relation to the tie, the track holding devices also including liners adapted to the perforations7 and the perforations being of a length in the direction of the length of the tie to receive the clamp plate tongues, the wedges and the liners.

7. ln track construction, a metallic tie having passages therethrough adjacent to the track receiving portion of the tie, a clamp plate having tongues adapted to traverse the passages with the clamp plate engaging a base liange of the rail, wedges adapted to traverse the passages and engage the tongues of the clamp plate, fastening means for the wedges, and liners independent of the fastening means and adapted to be lodged in the passages between the wedges and those ends of the passages remote from the clamp plates.

8. In track construction, a metallic tie having passages therethrough spaced apart laterally of the length of the tie in position to be normally overridden by the base flange of the track rail in the initial position thereof at the end of the passages toward the center of the tie, a clamp plate adapted to engage over the corresponding yflange of the rail and provided with tongues extending through the passages into underriding relation to the portion of the tie supporting the rail, and wedge devices spaced apart laterally of the length of the rail and entering ing associated therewith removable interlchangeable means interposable between the tieand rail engaging means and providing' a range of adjustment lengthwise of the tie to permit movementy of the rails toward each other to compensate for wear of the inner edges of the treads of the rails by the car Wheels y l0. In track construction, a metallic tie having ay fixed clamp plate for engaging the flange of a track rail on the side thereof toward the center of the track and said tie having passages therein adjacent to the position occupied by the outer edge of the liange ot the rail and spaced apart crosswise of the tie, a clamp plate having tongues spaced apart corresponding to the spacing of the passages through the tie and adapted to be passed through the passages into underriding relation to the tie where supporting the track, and wedge means having wedge portions spaced apart corresponding to the spacing of the passages and adapted to enter the latter to force the clamp plates into clamping relation to the rack rails.

l1. In track construction a metallic tie provided with means for holding one side of the track rail and provided near the other side thereof withV passages spaced apart in the direction of the width of the tic, a clamp plate having tongues thereon adapted to traverse the passages and engage under the track supporting portion of the tie, and a wedge member having spaced wedges thereon adapted to traverse the spaced passages and provided with means for securing the wedge member to the tie.

f 12. In track construction a tie having means thereon for engaging one side of a track rail and provided with passages therethrough adjacent to the other side of an installed track rail, a clamp plate having return tongues thereon adapted to traverse the passages with the tongues underriding the corresponding'portion of the tie, and the plate engaging over the corresponding portion of the liange of theA rail, and wedge members each provided with a pair of wedge extensions adapted to traverse the passages to force the clamp plate into ene y gaging relation with the rail and provided vvith means te. the tie. y y e 1.3'. In track construction, a tie having pairs of passages therethrough on opposite sides of the position to be occupied by the track lrail and the passages of each pair being spacedy apart laterally of the tie, clamp plates having tongue extensions adapted to for holding the Wedge member traverse the passages intounderriding relation to the corresponding portion of the. tie with the Plate overriding the Corresponding flangefojlf the track rail, Wedge members for pairA of passages having Wedge eXtensions traversing the passagesin position to l oixc'ethe yclainp membersv into vengagement with .the track 'railg'and means for securing the wedges to the tie. A

,la In trae/1r enetrueten, e tle hareng Paire QiTv passages therethreush en Opposite Sides Yef the psetien te be Occupied by the track rail and the passages of each-pair being spaced apart laterally of the tie,'clamp sans' attestata# ser .he #keine fes five eents plates having tongue extensions adapted to traverse the passages into underriding relation to the corresponding portion of the tie With the plate overriding the corresponding flange of the track rail, yWedge members for each pair of passages having Wedge eXtensions traversing the passages in position` to force the clamp members into engagement rWith the track rail, and means for securing the Wedges to the tie, the pairs of passages eagl/lyby addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

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